Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has asked the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji to be lenient to Keroche Breweries owners Tabitha Karanja and her husband Joseph Karanja as well as Nairobi businessman Humphrey Kariuki in tax evasion cases.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Murkomen asked the DPP to find a way of recovering the unpaid taxes and not charge the accused with criminal offenses.
Karanjas are accused of evading the payment of tax amounting to amounting to Ksh.14.4 billion while Kariuki allegedly owes the tax man Sh41 billion.
Murkomen argued that charging the leaders will affect the country in the long run.
“Whereas tax evasion is serious crime&considering our economic situation&high rate of unemployment I urge KRA to negotiate repayment plan 4 evaded taxes with Keroche&HumphreyKariuki instead of criminal enforcement. This fight must not leave the country in worse situation than it is,” he tweeted.
Haji had said that the Karanjas had failed to pay taxes for their various products including Crescent Vodka, Viena Ice and Summit beers. He ordered for their arrest with immediate effect.
“Having independently reviewed the file and applying the provisions of the National Prosecution Policy, I am satisfied that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to charge the suspects listed herein with 10 counts of Tax Fraud, contary to section 97 (a) and (c) of the Tax Procedures Act, 2015,” said the DPP.